Based on my posts (also written in my introduce yourself post), I love traveling. The moment I learned about travel fairs, booking tickets and doing itineraries, I never stopped going places. It's already in my system. Whenever I see a post about travel blogs, I instantly check it to see if I've already been there or have to include it on my long list of dream travel destinations.
4 1/2 years later, I was again making a list. This time for my big 3.0. Unlike before where my list contains varied things, I focused on one thing I love most. My plan was to try something new - traveling solo. I've been wondering how does it feel to be in a solo adventure with nothing to think about but yourself? I always travel in a group. I never had a chance to travel on my own. So on my 30th birthday, I wanted to go on a solo adventure trip.
I listed down the places that are safe for women traveling alone. Since I'm low on a budget haha I opted for local travel destinations only. And then fate coincided with my plan. There was a seat sale from a big airline company. I scored a super cheap plane ticket to my chosen destination.
Unfortunately, a friend of mine who was also a February celebrant like me, decided to tag along. I can't say no that time because she was my friend. Ah, who am I kidding? I am not a NO person. It is hard for me to say no to people close to me.
So it wasn't a solo trip afterall.
CORON, PALAWAN
The day came for our double birthday celebration trip. It was just an ordinary week so securing tickets and checking in was smooth. Not chaotic compared to holidays or long weekends.
When we were checking in, the ticketing lady asked for my bag to be weighed in. I obliged. Well it was mandatory so I really don't have a choice. Then she asked me to take my weight too. I looked at her again to see if I heard her right. And she repeat it. I have to do the weigh in too. In my mind I was laughing so hard. Never had I experienced being weighed in on all of my travels. Haha. Good thing I had not eaten my lunch yet that time haha.
One and a half hours later, we arrived at our destination - Busuanga Airport. It wasn't our final destination, we still have to ride a van bound to Coron. I took us 3 hours to reach Coron.
ACTIVITIES
The panoramic view of Mt. Tapyas.
Our first order of business, sunset viewing at the famous Mt. Tapyas. I am a sucker of sunsets. So I see to it that I get a chance to glimpse its gloriousness whenever I am going places. But I wasn't prepared for the 718 steps going up the mountain top. One, I was wearing a skirt! Two, we didn't stretch out. Haha and Three, I had not eaten lunch yet.
Still, I made it to the top. The panoramic view of the nearby islets that welcomed us compensated the hardship we took in those hundred flights of stairs. It was a magnificent view - the sunset, the islets and the mood up there. I watched adoringly as the sun go down. I don't want to leave my spot. But my stomach was already grumbling so we had to go down and look for something to eat. Since Coron is surrounded by water, I expected that restaurant's menu is composed mainly of seafood cuisines. But we didn't get to find any.
The glorious sunset at the viewing site.
So basically all activities are water related. The funny thing was we are not good swimmers. I had a basic training on swimming and as I have mentioned in my previous post, I am only confident at floating. While my friend has zero training in swimming at all. So she depended her life on me during our island hopping.
I LOVE WATER.
I love going to the beach. I love swimming. Even though I had swimming lessons during college, I'm still afraid to swim especially on deep open water and when my feet can't touch something solid underneath.
I almost drowned when I was a kid. Whenever my dad come home during summer, he would take us to the nearest resort in our town. One time, he took us to a new resort in our neighboring town. The resort had two pools, one for the kids and the other for adults. My cousin and I went to the adult pool without consent. Although we were holding on the ledge, I slipped my hand and went down the pool. I gasped for my life (I don't know yet how to swim that time. Actually I was the only one among my cousins who doesn't know how to swim, well except floating-my strongest point), I was trying to reach the hand of my cousin. There were no life guards that time and my dad was in a far away cottage.
At that moment, I was praying for my life. I don't want to die yet. So with all my strength and will power, I finally grabbed my cousin's arms who almost lost balance too! Thankfully we survived. We didn't tell it to anyone, especially to my dad. He would scold us for sure for going out to the adult pool when I don't even know how to swim. And that is the history of my fear of underwater. Maybe that's also the reason why I always come back to the water (weird right?). It's my way of overcoming my fear. Fight fear with fear as what my grandmother would always tell me.
Back to our water activities.. so basically, all throughout the day we were in the water - snorkeling and swimming.
I enjoyed every bit of it. Even if we were in the water at noon. I was eagerly looking for nemo in the coral garden, I was savoring the uncrowded hidden lake, I was adoring the tranquility of twin lagoon and I was taking in the beauty of Kayangan lake.
Ah.. I fell in love. I fell in love with the natural beauty of Coron. My heart was overflowing with pride and joy because we were blessed with such wonderful places.
Since were just two, we decided to join a group tour so we can minimize our expenses. In that tour, we met different kinds of people with diversed culture. Everyday during our island hopping, I get to meet different people. I met two girls, sorry I forgot their names already, I suck at remembering names. During breaks and on the way to the next destinations, I got the chance to talk to them. One was a jetsetter who just resigned from her job and traveling to different places all over the Philippines. She had been to 3 provinces before Coron and according to her, Ilocos would be her destination. She's living my dream! And she's younger than me! The other one was much younger than us. Where did my courage and determination went when I was their age? Why did I never pushed thru a jetsetter life when I was younger? I am so proud of those two girls. They have done what I was afraid to do when I was their age. Chasing a dream and making it happen. I gt to know them better as the hours passed by. Too bad the day I met them was my last day in Coron.
What I love about Coron was it wasn't as commercialized as Boracay. It was so simple. So when I learned about the development of an underwater theme park in Coron, I was outraged. How can they ruin a natural beauty just so they can earn much money?! Good thing the people involved came to their senses and did not push through with the plan.
Here's a compilation of all the islands we went to.
After a long day of Island hopping, we went on a dip at a manmade hotspring, the Maquinit hotspring. I was super tired from the activities and my whole body was aching, but then when I went down the pool, it easen the pain. The temperature was hot for me but I got used to it in the long run. It was so relaxing.
Sorry I didn't get a good picture of the hotspring because I was only using my smartphone's camera. So here's a shot while waiting for our turn to dip in the hotspring.
I left Coron with lots of memories to treasure. It was a different kind of trip from my previous ones. When I travel with friends or family, I don't get to mingle with anyone because I focus mostly on them. But during our trip in Coron, I get to meet different people and learn their stories.
Everything happens for a reason.
I may have not achieved the solo travel I planned for but the experiences I got from that trip was more than worth it.